Newport, RI (USA): August 23-26, 2012: The 7th International Workshop for Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia and Symposium on Advances in Multiple Myeloma was held on August 23-26 at the Hyatt Regency, Goat Island, in beautiful historic Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Over 250 people attended this 4 day workshop which included 14 sessions with 60 technical presentations from 70 speakers, including 6 debates, 22 poster presentations (including 6 oral presentations), 5 presentations and 1 debate on advances in Multiple Myeloma, and 2 consensus panel discussions.
The Welcome reception was held at the Hyatt Regency Pavillion, where attendees were treated to a clambake and wonderful sunset over Narragansett Bay. The Opening Ceremonies were held at the Rosecliff Mansion, where Dr. Pierre Morel was the recipient of the 2012 Robert Kyle Award. The Closing Ceremonies were held at the Marble House Estate, where Dr. Veronique Leblond was the recipient of the 2012 Waldenstrom Award. The venue for the 2014 Workshop (IWWM-8) will be London, UK, with Drs. Roger Owen, Hara Kyriakou and Shirley D'Sa as chair organizers.
In addition to the 3-day workshop was a 4th day including the consensus panel discussions, and a 2-hour Workshop Review for Patients which included 6 comprehensive presentations covering the major topics of the previous 3 days regarding treatment options and the latest research. The Workshop Review was followed by a luncheon where attendees and faculty had a chance to dine and discuss.
IWWM-7 was our most comprehensive meeting to date, building upon all previous workshops. It reflects the continued growth in investigators working on the genetic basis, pathogenesis, and treatment of WM. Since the IWWM began in 2000, the number of participating investigators has steadily grown, as have also the number of WM related publications including those arising from the IWWM which have been published in Blood, Clinical Lymphoma Myeloma, Haematologica, Journal of Clinical Oncology, and Seminars in Oncology. A highlight of IWWM-7 was the research regarding MYD88 and its role as a major contributer to WM, and where the latest findings have been published in the August, 2012 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
We hope the IWWM-7 has enriched each attendees understanding of Waldenstrom's Macroglobulinemia, and will help foster discoveries leading to its cure.
Kenneth C. Anderson (USA) Nikhil C. Munshi (USA) Steven P. Treon (USA)
For more information, including conference program, abstracts, photos, and ordering DVDs, please visit the WM Workshop website.
